9.9.9.

Today is my birthday, interesting numbers, and a strange

sort of day.

Two years ago Keith and I were joined by our sons - Will on the left,

pilot with British Airways, and Nic on the right, artist (see Paper

. Cinema link). It's a bit dark, taken at sunset from the Maharaja

of Udiapur's jetty, waiting for the boat to take up to the Lake

Palace Hotel for a birthday dinner. Wonderful.

This year Will managed to fit in a visit between flights to Philladelphia

and New York (tonight). Nic is fresh back from a month in Portugal

with The Paper Cinema, and then a month at the Edinburgh Festival.

Last night we had a barbecue - jumpers needed, at least it didn't rain.

We have individual barbecue buckets (veg and non-veg) which

proved very good when moved in between seats to take the chill

of the air. Reminded me of a February evening in Istanbul and

charcoal burners were placed by our seats to keep us warm.

Today was a quiet day. To gloomy and windy for a walk along

the Purbeck coast, but later when the sun came out we took a

stroll along Poole Quay, and then back home for a glass of

wine on the balcony under a rainbow.